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Picastro

BiografiePicastro began a long time ago, in 1997 actually. It was guitar and cello for a long time. Stephanie Vittas (cello) and Kurt Newman (guitar) were the first members. The band was at its best, and worst. I puked before every show. I miss those times.

A long cycle of members came and went, including everyone from the Toronto band Pecola (still one of the best bands I have ever seen). Zak from Pecola remains. Evan Clarke (Rockets Red Glare, Burn Rome in a Dream, the Jim Guthrie band) joined in 2000. Then Rachel McBride joined on cello. Then Owen Pallett on viola. Now Owen is busy with Final Fantasy and Alex McLeod is playing with us. Rachel is in school.

Recordings include contributions to Badaboom Grammaphone #4 (the Russian song “Ochi Chorni, 2001). Greg Weeks is also on it and Six Organs of Admittance. There still might be copies left, it is very good. Before that there was the 20 Year Design Theory comp from Canada (on Antiantenna, a Canadian label ) and Eye of the Beholder vol. 1 (“Gidali” is on it, out on Tract Records).

We released “Red Your Blues,” our first full-length on Pehr in 2002. We toured a lot, met lots of good bands, played a lot of festivals, radio shows, etc. Monotreme in the U.K. licensed the album in 2003. Then Winter Notes off the album was licensed by the show “24”.

The second album “Metal Cares” is coming out on Polyvinyl and Monotreme in Europe in 2005. Three of the songs were recorded at home, one of which is a Russian song I had been playing for years on my piano and finally recorded. One song features my friend Dwayne Sodahberk who has records out on Tigerbeat 6. I recorded vocals on a song for him for his last album and we will be doing more this year.